Image reading apparatus and data communication system

Abstract

An image reading apparatus includes a reading device generating scan data by reading a sheet, and a communication device capable of communicating with a data management apparatus managing a plurality of folders including a shared folder in a hierarchical structure. The communication device transmits the scan data and folder designation information designating the shared folder from the plurality of folders managed in the hierarchical structure by the data management apparatus to the data management apparatus.

1 . An image reading apparatus comprising:
 a reading device generating scan data by reading a sheet; and   a communication device capable of communicating with a data management apparatus managing a plurality of folders including a shared folder in a hierarchical structure,   wherein the communication device transmits the scan data and folder designation information designating a folder from the plurality of folders managed in the hierarchical structure in the data management apparatus to the data management apparatus, and   the image reading apparatus further comprises:
 a storage device storing designation character data and the folder of the data management apparatus in association with each other; 
 a recognition device recognizing character data included in the scan data; and 
 a controller includes a processor and, through the processor executing a control program, setting the folder designation information such that a folder associated with the designation character data is designated when character data recognized by the recognition device includes the designation character data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a display device displaying the hierarchical structure of the folders in the data management apparatus; and 
 an operation device receiving an operation of designating the shared folder from the hierarchical structure of the folders displayed in the display device. 
 
     
     
         3 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the display device displays data included in the shared folder of the data management apparatus,   the operation device receives an operation of designating the data displayed in the display device, and   the communication device instructs the data management apparatus such that the data is read from the shared folder in the data management apparatus.   
     
     
         4 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a forming device forming an image on a sheet in accordance with print data received from the data management apparatus. 
 
     
     
         5 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the controller causes the reading device to read only a sheet having a sheet size designated by image size designation information received by the communication device from the data management apparatus.   
     
     
         6 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the storage device stores image size designation information designating an image size; and   the controller causes the reading device to read only a sheet having a sheet size designated by the image size designation information stored in the storage device.   
     
     
         7 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the controller converts scan   
       data generated by causing the reading device to read a sheet into data including an image size designated by image size designation information received by the communication device from the data management apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the storage device stores image size designation information designating an image size; and   wherein the controller converts scan data generated by causing the reading device to read a sheet into data including an image size designated by the image size designation information stored in the storage device.   
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A data communication system comprising:
 an image reading apparatus including a reading device generating scan data by reading a sheet, a first communication device capable of communicating with a data management apparatus managing a plurality of folders including a shared folder in a hierarchical structure, and a recognition device recognizing character data included in the scan data;   a storage device storing designation character data and the folder of the data management apparatus in association with each other; and   an information processing terminal including a second communication device capable of communicating with the first communication device of the image reading apparatus, and a controller includes a processor and, through the processor executing a control program, setting folder designation information such that a folder associated with the designation character data is designated when character data recognized by the recognition device includes the designation character data,   wherein the second communication device of the information processing terminal transmits the folder designation information to the image reading apparatus, and   the first communication device of the image reading apparatus transmits the folder designation information and the scan data to the data management apparatus such that the data management apparatus stores the scan data in a folder designated in the folder designation information on the basis of the folder designation information.   
     
     
         11 . The data communication system according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the information processing terminal further includes:
 a display device displaying a hierarchical structure of the folders of the data management apparatus; and 
 an operation device receiving an operation of designating a folder of the hierarchical structure displayed in the display device, and 
   the second communication device of the information processing terminal transmits the folder designation information generated so as to designate a folder operated by the operation device to the image reading apparatus.   
     
     
         12 . The data communication system according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the display device of the information processing terminal displays print data inside a folder of the hierarchical structure of the data management apparatus,   the operation device receives an operation of designating the print data inside the folder of the hierarchical structure displayed in the display device,   the second communication device transmits a print data designation signal for designating the print data to the data management apparatus, and   the image reading apparatus receives the print data from the data management apparatus.   
     
     
         13 . The data communication system according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the image reading apparatus further includes a forming device forming an image on a sheet in accordance with the print data received from the data management apparatus.   
     
     
         14 . A data communication method comprising:
 a storing step of storing designation character data and any folder of a plurality of folders including a shared folder in association with each other in a storage device;   a reading step of causing an image reading apparatus to generate scan data by reading a sheet;   a recognizing step of causing the image reading apparatus to recognize character data included in the scan data;   a setting step of causing the information processing terminal to set folder designation information such that a folder associated with the designation character data is designated when character data recognized in the recognizing step includes the designation character data;   a first transmitting step of causing the information processing terminal to transmit the folder designation information to the image reading apparatus; and   a second transmitting step of causing the image reading apparatus to transmit the folder designation information and the scan data to a data management apparatus managing the plurality of folders in a hierarchical structure such that the data management apparatus stores the scan data in a folder designated in the folder designation information on the basis of the folder designation information.